It is well known that electricity is generated in an electric coil when the coil is linked by a changing magnetic field, and electric generators wherein pistons carrying permanent magnets are reciprocally driven back and forth through a coil are known in the prior art. These latter generators have not, however, been widely used.
There is at the present time a need for a small, low power, electric pulse generator which responds to reciprocation of the generator itself to provide electric pulses which may be used, for example, to energize light sources such as light emitting diodes, hereinafter referred to as LEDs. Such diodes operate at very low power levels but require a substantial initial voltage to render them conductive. Accordingly, a generator for use with LEDs should preferably provide a relatively high output voltage even though the actual power output need not be high.